The laxity of rules governing medical devices in Australia is ‘shocking’

There are nearly one and a half million registered medical devices on the market in Australia. Now, you would think that life-saving treatments such as pacemakers, defibrillators and pain pumps would be subject to the same sorts of clinical trials as prescription drugs. Right? Today, investigati…

White Lotus: The One Nation edition. Plus the PM’s landmark AI speech

We switch to sunnier climes this week, to a posh hotel in Sicily. It’s where the TV series White Lotus was filmed, and it’s also where our colleagues at The Australian Financial Review spotted One Nation leader Pauline Hanson poolside with billionaire Gina Rinehart. So what’s Hanson doing in Europ…

Bravado and the backflip: Peter Hartcher on Trump's 24 hours of 'madness'

The madness of Donald Trump surfaced again in the past day or so, according to many seasoned onlookers. First, the president of the United States announced that he would impose a shipping toll on the Strait of Hormuz, something that would jack up petrol prices and spike inflation. Then he backed d…

The best and worst moments of the World Cup

For nearly a century, the FIFA World Cup has carried fans throughout the world to great heights of unity and joy. This year's tournament, which is coming to a close, revealed some of the best of America. Scottish fans were welcomed by the city of Boston, and supposedly drank the city dry, while Jap…

More Australians, including Boomers, support a drop in house prices

A growing majority of Australians want housing prices to fall, in some cases by more than 20 per cent, according to new polling exclusive to our mastheads. Could it be that our decades-long obsession with growing house prices is finally coming to a halt? Today senior economics correspondent Shane W…

One Nation’s newest donors, and why they want to remain secret

Melbourne property developers, entrepreneurs and small business owners are promising huge sums to Pauline Hanson’s partybefore November's state election. They say it’s in return for advocacy on key policy areas.It is advocacy these donors think will be stronger coming from One Nation, rather than …

Albanese basks in Modi limelight. And, his weird podcast interview

This week, we’re talking about a visit from Narendra Modi to Australia and why Anthony Albanese wants to bask in the Indian prime minister’s limelight, despite questions around Modi’s human rights record. And in an environment where One Nation and the Coalition want to go hard on migration, Albane…

‘The world has changed’: Peter Hartcher on China’s extraordinary missile test

China launched a rare ballistic missile from a nuclear-powered submarine into the Pacific on Monday. It wasn’t just putting nearby countries, like Australia, on notice. It was making a statement that has changed the world, says international and political editor Peter Hartcher. He joins Samantha …

Trump’s red card intervention in the World Cup

Allegations of cheating and sporting corruption have followed the revelation that Donald Trump intervened in the FIFA World Cup to overturn the suspension of an American player. But the ramifications of this unprecedented event might far outlast the tournament. Today, Sydney Morning Herald deputy …

Why this bird flu is a lot more dangerous than the last one

Over the weekend, a particularly deadly strain of bird flu was confirmed in NSW for the first time. This takes the total of confirmed cases nationwide to six. Today, science reporter Angus Dalton on how much of a risk we’re dealing with.